It is now widely anticipated that advances in stem cell biology and biotechnology will lead to the development of cell-based therapy for many disorders, including degenerative diseases of the liver. Interconversion between the hepatic and pancreatic endodermal lineages may facilitate the use of hepatogenic stem cells from adult or embryonic sources offering potential for cell based transplantation therapy of diseases of either of these closely related tissues. However, controversy exists over the nature of the stem cell or stem cells that repopulate the adult liver following various forms of injury. Given the uncertainty over the precise nature of the progenitor cells in the hepatic lineage, the isolation of a suitable cell type for transplantation remains problematic, as does selection and expansion of precursor cells from embryonic stem cell populations, or ex-vivo expansion of progenitors from foetal, neonatal or adult sources. Without the ability to identify particular hepatic endodermal stem cells, it is difficult to study these cells in isolation and to use them for the development of pharmaceuticals that might influence liver cell growth and differentiation, or the transdifferentiation of these cells into other lineages, including pancreatic.
Thus the present invention provides reagents and methods useful in identifying and isolating sub-populations from stem cell populations such as hepatic stem cells that may be used in repopulating liver or other endodermal tissues including pancreas.